1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an accessory for string instruments, and more particularly to combination capo and slide.
2. Description of Related Art
Musicians commonly employ various accessories while playing string instruments. These accessories may modify the sounds of string instruments and/or ease the difficulties commonly associated with playing string instruments. Such devices include, for example, capos, slides, and picks.
A capo is a device that depresses one or more of the strings of an instrument. On a guitar, for instance, a capo depresses the strings against the fretboard at the point of the capo's attachment, thereby increasing the frequency of the sound emitted by shortening the effective length of the strings. A capo may also allow a musician to avoid depressing one or more of the string by hand, which is often difficult and tiresome over extended periods.
Capos typically attach to the neck of an instrument by a clamping mechanism or a tightly-wrapped elastic band. As a result, adjusting the position of a capo is not easy, especially while playing an instrument.
Another device commonly employed by musicians is a slide. A slide is a tool that typically includes a hard material in the shape of a cylinder. The cylinder is typically placed over a finger on the hand used to hold the instrument's neck. The slide shortens the vibratory length of the strings upon contact, thereby altering the pitch of the contacted strings. By moving the slide towards or away from the body of the instrument while contacting the strings, the musician can create a distinctive sound.
The slide, however, typically prevents the finger on which it is worn from flexing and depressing a string. Therefore, depressing a string with a slide finger requires removal and storage of the slide, typically in a pocket or on a microphone stand.
What is needed, therefore, is an accessory that overcomes at least one or all of the above-described disadvantages. It is to such accessories, systems and methods that that present invention is primarily directed.